Chief Executive Richard Gould to leave Surrey for homecoming with Bristol City

Surrey Chief Executive Richard Gould will leave the county this summer to take up the equivalent post at Bristol City, the Championship football club.

The move represents a homecoming for Gould. He was educated in the city, and worked at the Robins as Commercial Director from 2001-05. His family are still based in the West Country.

His father, Bobby Gould, played for Bristol City and their crosstown rivals Bristol Rovers, who he also managed across two stints in a celebrated coaching career that saw him lead Wimbledon’s “Crazy Gang” to FA Cup glory in 1988.

Gould has been CEO at Surrey since March 2011, when he joined from Somerset, where he held the same role.

Gould’s time in charge of Surrey has been eventful. Early in his tenure, the star young batsman Tom Maynard tragically died, and club legend Alec Stewart was installed as Director of Cricket.

The club went on to win the County Championship for the first time in 16 years in 2018, and have seen a fruitful flow of players to the England team. The Kia Oval has also expanded, particularly at the Pavilion End of the ground, where the new One Oval Square development is nearing completion. The Surrey he leaves behind is undoubtedly the most commercially viable county in English cricket.

In 2014, Gould narrowly missed out to Tom Harrison as Chief Executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board. He has been a key member of the ECB’s Professional Game Group in recent years, helping to manage county cricket.

He has, at times, been a vocal critic of the governing body, particularly with regard to the Hundred, the new competition that begins this summer. Neatly, he will leave shortly before the competition begins.

Charlie Hodgson, who is currently Managing Director of the Kia Oval, will take over as Interim Chief Executive.

Richard Gould said: “It has been an absolute honour to lead Surrey County Cricket Club for the past decade. It will always be a part of my life and I would like to thank our staff, players and Members for their hard work, wonderful support and good humour throughout.

“As the world of sport continues to evolve, Surrey CCC and The Kia Oval represent something very special indeed and I very much look forward to watching the Club’s continued growth over years to come.”

Richard Thompson, Surrey Chair, said: “Richard has been an exceptional CEO of Surrey CCC over a ten-year period, always prepared to speak his mind, with great clarity, honesty and always integrity. Richard should be proud of his legacy and know that he will always be a valued friend to the club that he has contributed so much to in so many ways.”

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